Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-11-25

The sea is the reservoir into which
run all the rivers of the world. IL Is
the cistern which finally catches all the
rain that falls, not only upon its own
surface. but upon the surface Of the
land and upon the roofs sf our homes.
All this water 10 removed again by
evaporation as fast as II is supplied. lt
is estimated that every year layer OF
the entire sea. fourteen feet thick, Is
taken up into the clouds. This vapor Is
fresh, and IL all the water could be re-
moved in the same way and none OF IL
returned, 1t is calculated that there
would be left layer Of pure salt two
hundred and thirty feet thick on the bed
Of the Atlantic.
This is upon the supposition that three
feet depth of water contains one inch
depth of salt, aud Ihat the average depth
of the ocean is three miles. At n depth
of about three thousand five hundred
feet the temperature Is uniform, vary
ing but trihe between the poles aud
the equator. The colder water is be-
low. Ii is reported that in many deep
bays on the coast Of Norway, the water
often begins 10 freeze at the bottom be-
rore It does at the surface. At this depth
waves are not felt. Waves do not travel
that is, the water does not move for
ward. although 1t seems To do so; IL
stays In the same place. The rising and
falling moves on.
We measure waves by their height,
and by the distance from crest To crest.
In deep water this latter distance Is
about fifteen times the height Of the
wave. la shallow water the propor-
ton is less, aud this makes u choppy
sea. The force Of waves is In propor-
ton TO their height. Ii Ia said that the
sea strikes on Bell Rock with force Of
seventeen tons for each square yard.
The pressure OF the water increases AS
We 40 down. At the depth'ot mile
this pressure is reckoIed at more than
ton to the square inch, that is, more
than hundred aud thirty-three times
the pressure of the atmosphere.
To get correct sounding In deep water
is difficult. 4 shot weighing thirty
pounds carries Gown the line. Through
this siEker hole Is bored, and through
tho hole is passed rod OF iron which
moves easily back and forth. In the
end of the bar cup Is dug out, and the
inside is coated with lard. The bar Is
made fast to the line and sling holds
the shot on. When the bar, which
extends below the shot, touches the
bottom, the sling unhooks and the shot
slides of. The cup In the end OF the
bar holds some of the sand, or whatever
may be on the bottom, and a cover shuts
over the cup TO keep the water from
washing the sand out. In this way we
learn the character Of the deep sea
bottom. IL will be seen at once that we
can know the depressions OF the bottom
of the ocean more easily and more
accurately than we can learn the eleva-
ton OF the land. As 4 consequence We
have better typographical map OF much
of that suface than we have OF the con-
tineut.
The depth Of the sea presents some
interesting considerations. II the At
lantic were lowered six thousand fve
hundred and sixty four feet, IL would
be reduced to half its present width. II
It were lowered little more than three
miles, there would be dry land all the
way between Newfoundland aud Ire
land. II the Mediterranean were low.
cred six hundred and sixty feet, Africa
would be joined TO Italy, and three sep
arate seas would remain.